Consequences
by groovychika
Summary: The sequel to Oblivion. How does someone deal with having a parasite take over their body and attack the people they love?
1. Chapter 1

Consequences

Chapter 1

_Author's note: _

_I posted the sequel pretty quick as some of the reviews were a little…scary. I hope this means you liked the first one and will enjoy the sequel. Believe it or not, this story deals with the _**Consequences**_ of _**Oblivion**_. Warning: This story will be a lot darker than the first one._

Disclaimer: _I own nothing. Season 9 would have been a lot different if I did own them._

Samantha Carter was in a desolate nether-world. A stop between worlds where peoples' fates were decided. The room she was in was empty; cold and white. Then the rest of SG1 appeared out of nowhere.

"Guys! I don't know what I'm doing here."  
Teal'c raised an eyebrow and moved away from her. "Your punishment is being decided, Major Carter."

"Yeah, they're taking their time with you Carter. Heard they're making it pretty bad."

"What? I didn't do anything."

Daniel laughed in disbelief. "You killed thousand of people, Sam."

"No. It wasn't me. It was the Goa'uld. Hera, it was her fault…"

"You think you deserve a second chance? After what you did? You deserve to suffer for eternity. I hope you do."

"It was Hera, she…I tried to fight it."

"You killed innocent people, Carter. You tried to kill us. You didn't try and fight it or you would've won."

"We have to go now. Back to the people who deserve to live."

"Please don't leave me here."

"Bit late for regrets isn't it Sam?"

She woke up, tangled in the covers and panting heavily, Daniel's words still echoing in her head even if it was only a dream. Immediately Teal'c, who was her 'watcher' for that night, arose from the chair and moved to her side.

"Are you sick, Major Carter?"

Sam flinched away and moved to the very edge of the bed that was furthest from the Jaffa. He called Janet Fraiser over and she examined her patient for the third time that night. As usual, Sam endured it in silence, not even answering any questions although the bullet wound in her chest was starting to burn again.

When the doctor had finished, Sam curled herself into a ball and stared at the patterns on the floor, trying desperately to stay awake and ignore the pain in her chest. This had happened every night for the past fortnight, ever since her life had irrevocably changed. The nightmares plagued her, images of her worst fears haunting her mind. The thought of her friends blaming her for the parasite's actions made her afraid to sleep but she knew eventually she would drift off and the nightmares would come again.

It had been two week since Samantha Carter, possessed by a Goa'uld, had tried to destroy Earth, starting with the SGC. She had only been freed when Jack O'Neill had shot her and killed the parasite. It had been two weeks since she had nearly died and she hadn't spoken a word.

_Author's Note: Okay, so this one was pretty short but if you guys like it, I will post much more frequently. I didn't kill Sam so you don't have to kill me anymore._


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_Author's Note:_

_I was really overwhelmed with all the nice reviews everyone left. As promised, I am updating quicker which scares me a bit as it isn't even finished yet. This chapter is darker and if it offends you, I'm sorry._

One dismal afternoon, Jack sauntered into the infirmary, acting like it was any other day. SG1 were on downtime because Hammond honestly didn't know what else to do with them.

"Hey Carter. How you feeling?"

As always, there was no answer but Jack O'Neill was not one to let silence bother him and tried to think of a subject that would grab her interest.

"Doc says you're improving but your hair's getting longer. Want it cut?"

He held up a small mirror so she could see it properly.

"Don't."

Her voice shocked him and he didn't even make a move to stop her from throwing the mirror on the floor. It smashed into thousands of tiny shards and she smiled coldly

"Oops. Seven years bad luck."

Jack gathered his thoughts quickly. "You have still got your tongue then. Why didn't you use it?"

"What was I supposed to say?"

He was startled at this attitude from his second in command. He hadn't expected everything to go back to normal straight away, but this icy stranger scared him.

"How are you feeling?"

She looked at him as if it was the stupidest thing anyone had ever said. "I've been better."

There was an awkward silence for a few minutes until, "Did I kill him?"

"What?"

"My father. Did I kill him? He hasn't been around and I just wondered."

She didn't sound upset or worried, just curious.

"No, he's recovering. He was pretty beaten up. Only woke from a coma this morning."

"That's one less death on my hands."

"You do realize that wasn't you, right?"

She stared at him with an unreadable expression, "I'd like you to leave now."

"What? No, I just got here."

"Leave."

She said it quietly but with a surprising amount of force. Jack actually thought he was talking to Hera again.

"Ok, I'll go, but I'm coming back again."

He immediately went to Daniel's lab. The archeologist took one look at the Colonel's face and knew something was wrong.

"Is it Sam?"

Jack pulled a face. "In a way. She actually talked today."

"Really? What did she say?"

"Not a lot. She asked about Jacob."

"Was she relieved to know he was alive?" Teal'c added from the doorway.

"Not really. She didn't seem particularly bothered."  
"Come on Jack. She's been through a lot. She just needs time to recover."

"I know that. It's just…are we sure the Goa'uld died?"

"Doctor Frasier checked several times."

"Why?" Daniel asked suspiciously

"I don't know. Go and talk to her yourself. Maybe I'm being paranoid."

After Jack had left, Sam crept out of her bed and cautiously picked up the numerous shards of glass that dotted the floor.

"Sam!"

The doctor's voice startled the blonde and she stood up, carefully cradling what was left of the broken mirror.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Janet held out an empty medical tray and the glass slivers fell into it.

"I was just trying to tidy up."

"Look at your hands now."

Sam was surprised to find several cuts on her hands. They weren't really serious but they were bleeding quite a lot.

"I didn't even feel it."

"Get back into bed. I will get you a basin of water and you can clean them up."

Ten minutes later, Daniel arrived to talk to Sam.

"How is she?" he asked Janet.

"She's talking, which is good."

"Can I see her?"

"She was washing. Sam, can we come in and talk to you?" she asked to the curtains around the bed.

"Sure."

When Daniel went through the curtain, he had a hard job comprehending what he was seeing. Sam was sitting in bed with her hands suspended above a bowl of murky liquid. She was staring at the blood dripping from the cuts on her hands and was making no attempt to stop it.

"Oh my God, Sam. What are you doing?" The frantic doctor pulled the bowl away from her and pressed bandages around her hands.

Janet ushered Daniel away from the bed area and drew the curtains again.

Five minutes later the doctor emerged, pale faced.

"What was that, Janet?"

"She cut her hands on a broken mirror. It wasn't deliberate but she just didn't realize what she was doing. I tried to talk to her but she got agitated and I had to give her a sedative."

"Is she going to be okay?"

"I honestly can't say. We've never had to deal with this before. Come back in an hour. She'll be awake then and we can talk to her."

When SG1 returned to Sam's bedside, she was fully conscious and looking very sheepish.

"Hey Carter," Jack began cautiously. "What's up?"

"When I woke up, I could have sworn it was all a really bad dream. All of it. Hera, the Tok'ra, me getting shot…Then I saw the blood on my hands and it finally hit me."

Daniel shifted awkwardly. "Do you think it would help if you spoke to someone?"

"You think I need a shrink?"

"You've been through a lot, Sam. I just thought it might help."

"I'm not going to talk to one."

"Okay, it was just an idea."

After a few hours of stilted conversation and long awkward pauses, the men of SG1 left, promising to come back the next morning.

_Author's Note:_

_I really hope this chapter didn't offend anyone but I was just trying to show how Sam is feeling at the minute. The whole Hera experience is just starting to sink in and she's finding it hard to adapt._

_Next chapter gives some more explanations and, as always, reviews are welcomed._


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

_Author's Note: Another chapter, hope nobody's getting bored yet! _

_If I haven't made it clear before, this is an AU, set sometime between Seasons 3 and 8_

Jack arrived bright and early but put off his visit to Sam. What could he say? She wasn't too keen on talking anyway. He loitered around her office for a while, remembering when things where a whole lot simpler.

Then he heard screaming and raced to the infirmary. There, his normally calm and collected second in command was sitting in her bed, throwing anything within reach at a cowering man.

"Get the hell out of here!" Sam shouted.

""What the hell is going on here, Carter?"

"They think I'm crazy!"

Bewildered, Jack looked towards the man, who was now trying to leave the room.

He realized that it was Dr Mackenzie and started to understand what was going on.

"They don't think you're crazy, Carter. They just want you to talk to someone."

Three airmen rushed into the room, drawn by the bellowing.

Sam turned her attention to them, "Airmen, this is an alien posing as a doctor. I command you to shoot him!"

The men all raised their weapons, ready to follow an order from a superior officer.

"Wait! Don't shoot! Go and get Dr Fraiser." Jack shouted

The Airmen hesitated but the Colonel was in charge and they left the room.

"You better get out of here as well." Sam threatened the psychiatrist

The doctor looked at Jack for support who could only shrug.

Just then, Janet Fraiser swept into the infirmary with a dangerous gleam in her eye.

"Sam, were those soldiers telling the truth?" Janet caught a glimpse of Mackenzie, who was trying to act as though he hadn't been hiding under a table, and glared at her patient.

"You're threatening a psychiatrist?"

"I didn't want to talk to him!"

"I don't care!"

"You can't make me!"

Jack smirked at the sight of these two very stubborn women acting like children and made a mental note never to annoy either one of them again.

"If you don't talk to him, then I'm not going to clear you for active duty. Ever."

Sam's eyes widened in horror. "You wouldn't do that!"

"Watch me. And you can stop smiling, Colonel."

The grin dropped from Jack's mouth and he simply watched as Sam frowned and crossed her arms like an obstinate five year old.

"Fine! I'll talk to him. I don't have to like it though."

She sat on the bed and fiddled with the bedsheet, anything to avoid looking the psychiatrist in the eye.

"So, Sam, how are you feeling?"

"Firstly," Sam said irritated, "It's Major Carter and secondly, don't waste time with these stupid questions. If I have to talk to you, at least make them vaguely original."

"Okay. Why do you need everyone to call you by your rank?"

"It's just polite."

"Are you sure it's not something else? Maybe a need to prove what you've accomplished?"

"I'm sure."

"Okay, so why did you break the mirror when Colonel O'Neill tried to give it to you?"

"That was all Hera did. She had whole rooms in her palace full of just mirrors. Used to spend hours standing in front of them, admiring her body; my body."

Mackenzie made some notes on the pad before him, "Why haven't you been to see your father yet?"

"I tried to kill him. Twice."

"It wasn't you. It was the…."

"Yeah, yeah. It was the Goa'uld. People keep saying that and its getting boring now. I still don't think he'd be too keen on seeing me just yet. He's not even conscious."

"What is your main aim right now?"

"To get back to normal. Rejoin SG1 and save the world like we normally do."

After an hour of long questions and short answers, Mackenzie left, with promises to return before she was cleared for duty again.

It was growing late and most of the personnel had left for the night. Sam was still awake, brooding over her earlier talk with the psychiatrist. A movement in the corner of the room caught her eye and she was instantly more alert. Then the figure stepped forward into the dim light of the infirmary and she relaxed.

"Hello, Sam."

""Hi Dad."

_Authors Note: Okay, so I kinda left it on another cliffhanger but I will update in the next couples of days, if everyone likes this chapter. Next chapter brings in some more old "friends" which causes the story to speed up a little. Any guesses who they might be? Apart from Jacob, because you already know he's going to be in it! As always, any contributions or suggestions are welcomed._


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

_Authors Note_

_I think this chapter explains some more things and I really hope that everyone is still enjoying the story._

The Tokra stood awkwardly next to his daughter. "How are you Sam?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

"I'm okay. A bit banged up but Selmak's healed most of me."

"Does Janet know you're out of bed?"

"No, I snuck out. She's worse than an ashrak!"

Sam smiled at this but didn't relax. "Look, I…"

"Its okay, Sam. It wasn't you."

"How can you even look at me? I stabbed you! I threw you through a window!"

"No you didn't. Hera did. I've been around the galaxy, Sam. I know the difference between the parasite and the host. The parasite stabbed me. The host had the strength to overcome it."

"So, you didn't even look at Hera and see me hurting you?"

"No. All I saw was my daughter trying to escape from a prison."

Their conversation only lasted a few minutes. Both people were nervous around each other and exhausted but it did Sam good. She went to sleep that evening with less guilt on her shoulders.

"Major Carter, we must leave now."

Sam had only been awake a short while when this statement came from the doorway of the infirmary.

"Teal'c ? What's going on?"

The Jaffa merely grabbed her arm and lifted her out of bed.

"I can't just leave, Teal'c. Janet will kill me. Is there an emergency?"

Teal'c led the way to the doorway, checking both directions before dragging Sam down the corridor.

"Doctor Fraiser is in agreement with this course of action."

"What course of action?"

They were halfway down the corridor when they heard a loud voice.

"Carter? Don't know where she is. Not in the infirmary that's for sure."

Teal'c froze and then began dragging Sam the other way.

"Was that the Colonel? He knows where I am. Will you tell me what's happening?"

"Colonel O'Neil has instructed me to get you to the surface as quickly as possible. I will explain more when we are there."

Their journey to the surface was quick but interrupted by frantic dodges into shadowed corners whenever another person came close. Sam spent the journey desperately trying to hold her hospital gown together.

When they finally reached the "real world", Sam noticed several black vans surrounded by armed men in black suits.

Before she could comment on them, Teal'c had led the way to a cover of trees. It was still dark and she had a hard time avoiding stones on her bare feet.

"Now you have to talk to me, Teal'c." she demanded when they finally came to a stop.

The Jaffa opened his mouth but two other figures appeared.

"It's okay, it's us." Daniel hissed.

"Please tell me what's going on!"

Jack threw a shirt and pair of jeans at Sam who glared at the men until they had turned their backs. She pulled the clothes over her gown while Jack explained.

"The NID finally found out how you've spent the last month."

"What? It's okay, you can turn around now."

"Maybourne and his cronies want to "question" you. They want Hera's knowledge. We thought we'd get you out of there until you were ready."

"What about Dad?"

"Hammond managed to get a few minutes warning and your Dad got through the Gate in time." Jack said.

"Doesn't this make me AWOL?"

"General Hammond was in full participation. He and Doctor Fraiser are currently delaying the agents."

"Well, what do I do now?"

"I think the NID are going to your house now so I suggest you head in the opposite direction. How about Mexico?"

"I can't keep running forever. Sooner or later, they're going to find me. I…"

She was interrupted by the arrival of a smirking Maybourne. "Not running away, are you, Major Carter?"

"No, sir. I just came up to get some fresh air. Colonel O'Neill came to let me know that you were here."

"Your Doctor had no idea where you were"

Here, Sam tried to look abashed. "It wasn't exactly with her permission sir. I was getting bored in my hospital bed."

Maybourne looked at her suspiciously but could find no fault in her reasoning.

"Would you have any problems with answering some of my questions?"

Jack opened his mouth to protest but Sam silenced him with a glare. "None at all, sir."

Ten minutes later, Sam found herself in a room normally used for interrogating prisoners. It was just her and Harry Maybourne, face to face across a table.

"Major Carter, what do you remember about your time with Hera?"

"Nothing," she blurted out.

"We both know that's not true."

Outside, Jack O'Neill was pacing in front of the room, unable to interfere although he could hear what was going on

"Why did we let this happen?"

"I have my orders too, Jack," Hammond said regretfully. "The President feels that Major Carter may have valuable information.

"She said that she can't remember anything." Daniel protested.

"Major Carter may be lying about her memory."

Back in the interrogation room, Sam was looking Maybourne directly in the eyes, trying not to blink in case he saw it as a sign she was lying.

"I remember when the symbiote went into my neck and then all I know is waking up in the infirmary here."

"How did you know it was the infirmary here if you don't remember anything?"

"I've woken up enough times in the infirmary to know where I am."

"You do realize that any information you can recall from your time as host could provide essential to the defense of Earth."

"I do realize that, sir and I really wish I could help. I just can't remember anything."

After an hour of questioning, Maybourne finally gave up and left, taking his men with him. Before he went, Jack couldn't help a passing shot.

"She didn't tell you anything, Harry? Your bosses aren't gonna be too happy with that."

"If I find out she's lying, I'll have her locked away for treason."

With this threat, Maybourne called his men and they left the mountain.

_Authors Note:_

_I'm hoping that the Jacob/Sam reunion scene wasn't too soppy or anything, I just knew the meeting had to occur sometime. Maybourne and the NID were the "old friends" I talked about in the last chapter. They're the guys you love to hate. Or the guys you just hate._

_Anything anyone wants added in the next chapters?_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

_Authors Note:_

_Sorry I've been so long updating. It's been a crazy week and apparently applying to university is more important than writing. Who can figure out parent logic?_

_Anyway, enjoy._

"Hey Carter," Jack said as he cautiously entered the holding room.

"Hey, sir." Sam stood up from the table, looking completely unruffled as if she'd just eaten lunch instead of being interrogated.

"So, how did it go?"

"I know you were listening, sir."

"Did you lie to him?"

"About what, sir?"

"Dammit, Carter, don't play dumb. Do you remember anything about your time with Hera? Anything at all?"

"No, sir."

And although Sam looked him straight in the eyes and spoke without blinking, he still didn't believe her.

A week of Jacob using the hand device led to a rapid healing of Sam's gunshot wound. This in turn led to yet another meeting, but this one was different. The original SG1, sans Sam, was there, along with Mackenzie, Janet Fraiser and General Hammond.

"So, Major Carter wants to be assigned to active duty?" Hammond started off.

"Yes, sir."

"Doctors? How is she?"

When Janet Fraiser spoke, it was carefully. "The damage from the bullet has been corrected. Physically, Major Carter is in perfect health."

"Dr Mackenzie?"

"Major Carter has attended all of the meetings I arranged. She appears to have dealt with her time as a host remarkably well."

"But?"

"She seems to have dealt with it almost too well. It's a little unnerving actually."

"You think she's faking it?" Jack asked.

"I don't know. She's particularly adept at hiding her true feelings."

"If you two doctors can't give me a legitimate reason, I'm going to have to let Major Carter back on missions."

Both doctors were silent; neither have a sound argument to keep her on base, both trying to find one.

"Uh, General, I think that we can keep an eye on Sam if she comes off-world with us." Daniel offered.

"Indeed. If Major Carter shows any sign of distress or unusual behavior, we will immediately escort her back." Teal'c contributed.

General Hammond was silent for a moment, pondering what everyone had said and trying to come to a definitive decision.

"Then I have no choice. Major Carter can go back on missions. But I'll make sure to find a nice calm mission to start you all off with."

"Nice, calm mission?" Jack asked, "No such thing, sir."

He left the room quickly and the rest of the group followed. On their way out, SG1 encountered Sam who was on her way towards them looking confident.

"Hammond put me back on active duty didn't he?"

She was wearing a cold, smug smile and it irritated Jack.

"It's _General_ Hammond and yeah, he did, although I disagree with him."

"You can disagree with him all you like but it's not your decision to make, is it, _Colonel_?"

She sauntered off in the direction she had come from and Jack frowned.

"I don't care what the docs say; she is not back to normal."

"I concur."

_Author's Note:_

_Okay, I know this one is kinda short but the next one will be very long if I get lots of nice reviews. _

_Quick question. If this is set roughly in Season 4, how old will Cassie be? In the episodes she appears in, her age seems to jump around a bit. Any help would be appreciated._


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

_Author's Note:_

_This chapter deals with sensitive subjects, namely rape. Well, sort of. Read it and it will make sense. _

_Thank you for the help with Cassie's age, I'm still not sure whether to include her or not. Any preferences?_

The next morning, Hammond had arranged a simple recon mission for SG1 to explore an unknown planet.

The MALP showed no movement or sign of life at all and Jack was silently thankful for a quiet mission to get them back in the swing of things.

Sam pouted a little when she found out it was only a recon but soon regained her enthusiasm and was now waiting on the ramp, anxious to go.

"Sam, are you sure you're ready to go on this mission yet?" Daniel asked with genuine concern.

She looked at him and rolled her eyes. "I'm fine, Daniel. I just want to get out there and do something instead of sitting in a hospital bed all day."

Daniel looked as though he wanted to protest but was interrupted by the sound of the Stargate powering up.

As soon as the event horizon was fully stabilized, Sam was straight through without a backward glance.

The rest of her team emerged shortly after and took their first look around the new planet. It was a sandy planet with only a few shrubs and grasses as plant life. Surveys showed that a small deserted town lay a mile to the north so they headed in that direction.

The town was comprised of a few small buildings made of brick and all in various stages of collapse. Jack was wary of the silence. There didn't appear to be anyone else on the planet but after last time, he wasn't about to let his guard down.

Then a solitary figure came out from behind one of the tallest buildings. SG1 all pointed their weapons at him but Sam dropped hers almost immediately.

"Nil'ac?"

It was indeed Hera's First Prime and Jack was now even more alert.

"My Queen." The enemy Jaffa bowed in front of Sam and gazed at her in wonder.

"When you did not return, we feared the worst. We have been searching planets for you ever since."

"Where are the other Jaffa?" Teal'c asked.

Nil'ac glared at him. "The other Jaffa are searching other parts of the planet. As First Prime, I do not need their support."

"Looks like you do now." Jack said cheerfully.

"I insist you release my Queen," Nil'ac demanded, rising from the floor and facing Jack.

"Release? You think we've kidnapped her?"

At this point, Sam finally decided to contribute to the conversation, moving the men slightly away from Nil'ac so he couldn't hear.

"Sir, if I can tell them the truth about the Goa'uld and what happened to me…"

"You could persuade them to renounce the ways of the Goa'uld," Teal'c finished

"I don't like it Carter."

"If Nil'ac decides we're his enemies, we don't stand a chance."

And without further argument, she walked over to the enemy

Nil'ac immediately kneeled at her feet again.

"Stand up," she ordered.

When he rose, his eyes were filled with wonder. "I longed so much for you to return. I thought we had disappointed you and you left us."

He stepped closer and touched her arm….

_Flashback_

_One hand was wrapped tight around her waist and the other caressed her cheek. He was kissing her with reckless abandonment and she eagerly reciprocated. Their passion escalated and the pair fell together onto the luxurious bed. He ripped her dress in his haste to get it off and she moaned._

Sam stared at her former First Prime in fear and horror. She pushed his hand off her shoulder but, suddenly, that wasn't enough. The fear burned throughout her body and she began to shake.

"Stay away from me!" she screamed

Nil'ac frowned in confusion and moved closer. "My lady?"

Forgetting that she had weapons in her possession and wanting him as far away as possible, she punched him, terror giving her strength. He staggered but didn't go away so she hit him again.

Jack ran towards the pair, concerned that the Jaffa had attacked her. What he saw scared him. His normally calm 2IC was punching and kicking Nil'ac for all she was worth. Her face was red and tears flooded her cheeks. Daniel and Teal'c joined him, none of them sure of what to do.

The bloody Jaffa had now been knocked to the floor but still the panicked Major did not relent.

Deciding enough was enough; Jack dropped his gun and strode up to Sam. He grabbed the back of her jacket and used it to drag her away from the prone man on the floor. She was still kicking and screaming and it took Jack, Daniel and Teal'c to hold her still. Once she was a few feet from Nil'ac, she stopped fighting and fell limply in Jack's hold.

Teal'c checked on the fallen Jaffa while Daniel made sure that Sam was still breathing. There was a racing pulse beneath her clammy skin and she was breathing shallowly so Jack felt it was safe not to take her directly back to the SGC.

"Hera's First Prime is gravely injured, O'Neill."

Leaving Daniel with Sam, Jack went over to Teal'c.

Their would-be-enemy was crumpled on the floor covered in blood and wasn't moving.

"What the hell got into Carter?"

"I do not know, O'Neill. It is most unlike her."

"You can say that again."

Teal'c opened his mouth but stopped at Jack's glare. "It's just a phrase okay, Teal'c?"

Just then, some shouts from the distance startled the team. Jack immediately leapt into action.

"T, grab Carter and take her through the gate. Daniel, help me with this guy. Looks like his friends are on the way."

They ran the mile as fast as they could back to the Stargate, slowed by the two unconscious people. Teal'c didn't seem to be having any trouble at all with Sam but Daniel and Jack were out of breath and panting by the time the gate was dialed up.

Teal'c bounded through the gate while the other two men dragged the enemy Jaffa, trying not to lose their grip on his clothes. The shouts were closer now and adrenaline drove Jack faster.

Once through the gate he screamed, "Shut the iris!"

It slowly closed and he breathed a sigh of relief.

A medical team came rushing into the room, placing Sam and Nil'ac on two gurneys and taking them away again. General Hammond came storming into the room looking angry, "You only left half an hour ago! What happened?"

Jack looked t his commanding officer, trying to decide how much of the truth to tell but before he could, Teal'c answered.

"We encountered some of Hera's Jaffa on the planet. Major Carter was…overwhelmed by the meeting."

"What about the bloody Jaffa lying in the infirmary?"

"I offer my sincerest apologies for the attack, General Hammond. The First Prime provoked Major Carter and I felt compelled to defend her honor."

Jack stared at the prone Jaffa in shock and disbelief. Hammond seemed to be having the same trouble but eventually managed to make his mouth work.

"I want a team meeting in 10 minutes, with Major Carter if possible. And you better have a damn good reason for attacking that Jaffa."

_Authors Note:_

_Was that too weird? I'm trying to move past Sam's anger now and show how it's affected her on a more basic level. The flashback was when Hera and Nil'ac did the nasty, sorry if it was hard for anyone to read, it was hard for me to write. It freaked out Sam because it was her body but not her mind._

_I hope it all made sense. I'm happy to answer any queries or questions. Do I need any ship in later chapters? Or would that make it too cliché? _


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

_Authors Note:_

_Yes, I know it's been ages since I updated and I am really really sorry but here's a nice long chapter to make it up to you. Enjoy!_

Hammond strode off and Jack faced Teal'c. "What the hell did you think you were doing?"

"Major Carter has been through a great deal in the past few weeks. I felt it was my duty to spare her some more problems."

"Your duty? How is your duty lying to the base commander and covering Carter's ass? She was the one that threw a hissy fit and tried to beat a Jaffa to a bloody pulp. A Jaffa that, may I add, had not made any attempt to attack us!"

Teal'c was silent and Daniel previously quiet, stepped forward. "Jack, maybe we don't know the whole story. We should talk to Sam and sort this out. We have to explain it to Hammond anyway, why don't we leave the arguing until then?"

Sam woke to a bright light attacking her retinas. Instinctively she tried to squirm away but was held firm.

"Sam? Are you okay?"

She struggled up, surprised to find herself in the infirmary without any pain.

"Janet? What happened?"

"I was hoping you could tell me."

Sam tried to think back and slowly, she remembered. "Nil'ac. He was there. He thought I was still Hera. Oh, God."

"Teal'c carried you back. Apparently, you fainted."

With fear and horror building in her stomach she asked, "Then what?"

"Nil'ac said something that Teal'c' didn't like and rumour has it that he pummeled Nil'ac."

Guilt was now added to the mix as Sam swallowed the self-loathing. Teal'c had taken the fall for her?

"Really?" she asked weakly.

"Yeah. General Hammond is not very happy. Meeting in 5 minutes and I don't think Teal'c is going to be let off lightly."

Sam considered the options. She could let Teal'c take the blame. They couldn't kick him out of the military. He couldn't be court marshaled whereas she could. None of the others would ever mention it again and she could get off scot-free.

She made her decision. "Janet?"

"Yes?"

"Am I well enough to go to the meeting?"

When she arrived in the briefing room, closely followed by Janet, Jack eyed her with suspicion, Daniel confusion and Teal'c studiously avoided her gaze completely.

"Let's get started," General Hammond said as he sat down. "Would anyone like to tell me why there is an unconscious Jaffa lying in my infirmary?"

"As I said before General Hammond, Nil'ac was causing great offense to Major Carter."

"That's not how we deal with things here Teal'c! You can't…"

"Sir, it wasn't Teal'c. It was me."

They all turned to look at Sam. Now Jack was looking at her with respect while the others just looked horrified.

"Excuse me?"

Sam looked at the table, feeling the flush that traveled up her face. "Nil'ac thought I was still Hera. He acted in a way that would be appropriate to her but not me. I…I had a flashback."

"Great," Jack muttered, "Now you're having flashbacks of Jolinar and Hera?"

The others ignored him and kept their eyes on Sam, waiting for her to start talking again.

"What was the flashback of?" Daniel asked quietly, respectfully.

She opened her mouth to answer but the memories flooded over her again and she couldn't speak. Instinctively looking for shelter, she bolted out of the briefing room and headed for the sanctuary of her lab.

She hid in her lab for a good half-hour, trying desperately to block out the few memories from her time as Hera. After failing miserably, she figured that sooner or later, she had to face Hammond so it might as well be now.

She knocked timidly on the General's door, the tirade beginning as soon as she entered the room.

"What in God's name did you think you were doing, Major?!"

"I apologize, sir, it was an instinctive reaction…."

"You beat a Jaffa to near death with your bare hands! One that didn't even attack!"

"I know and…."

"You let Teal'c take the blame! And for all we know, the remaining Jaffa are planning to attack and get revenge!"

"I didn't let Teal'c take the blame. He volunteered it. And I am their goddess. They will not attack me."

George Hammond, seasoned General and commander faltered at the steely gaze in the eyes of the woman he had known all her life. The sheer confidence and disdain in Major Carter's eyes chilled him. He had seen his fair share of Goa'uld and the look in Carter's eyes was identical to that of the aliens. Was it possible that the symbiote had survived?

"Is there anything else, sir?"

"Just leave. I will deal with you later."

Sam sauntered out of the office, past her teammates who were pretending not to listen.

"So, Sam, what did he say?" Daniel asked anxiously.

"He doesn't know what to do with me. Colonel, I have a suggestion..."

"I'm listening."

"We need all the allies we can get, right? If we go and find Hera's Jaffa, maybe we can persuade them to join us against the Goa'uld!"

"Um, maybe that's not such a good idea Sam."

"They would probably try and kill us Major Carter."

"They would listen to me."

"I think they'd kill you as soon as they realized you weren't Hera."

"I could pretend to be Hera for a while, then. Just to gain their confidence."

"Major Carter, do you realize what you are suggesting?"

A flash of panic crossed Sam's face but she composed herself and laughed. "It was just an idea, guys. We aren't gonna beat the System Lords all on our own. Hey, anyone feel like lunch? I'm starved."

She walked off and the men stared at each other in shock,

"Major Carter is acting most out of character."

"Maybe this is something she has to go through." Daniel defended.

"That's all very noble Danny, but how far is she going to go?"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

After Sam had left his office, Hammond called down to the infirmary.

"Doctor Fraiser? Can you come to my office as soon as possible? It might be best not to tell anyone else. Thank you."

The petite woman entered his office apprehensively; she was never called there for good news.

"You wanted to see me sir?"

"Thank you for coming. What are your thoughts concerning Major Carter?"

"She has been acting strangely, sir. I know it's to be expected after her experience but…"

"Off the record, Doctor."

"If I hadn't treated her myself, sir, I would have said that the parasite had survived and was still controlling her."

"But Hera definitely died?"

"Yes, sir. It was touch and go whether Major Carter would survive. We did numerous scans and there was no sign of the Goa'uld in her body apart from the protein marker."

"So you know of no way that the Goa'uld could be alive?"

"Not unless it has some way of hiding in he body that we don't know of and I don't see how that could be."

Hammond stared thoughtfully into the distance for a few minutes.

"Sir, can I ask what this is about?"

"I will have to report to my superiors about this and they aren't going to like one of our officers beating up aliens that didn't pose a threat."

"With all due respect, sir, Sam has been through something that nobody we know of has experienced."

"I know that as well as you do, Doctor, but the NID are going to use any means possible to get their hands on her."

"Cant we stop it?"

"I can try and keep the Nila'c incident as quiet as possible but if she keeps acting like this, she'll be removed."

Daniel sought out Sam in the commissary, where she was digging into a bowl of blue jello.

"Hey, Sam."

"Come to judge me as well?"

"Uh, no, I just came for the cake."

They ate in silence for a while until Daniel's curiosity finally won through. "Uh, you know the other week when you were, uh, injured?"

"You mean when the Colonel shot me and I was bleeding to death? Yeah, I remember it."

"You said that you remembered everything from Hera."

Immediately, Sam stiffened and became more defensive. "Did I say that? I don't remember that. Maybe when Hera was alive, I knew what she knew."

"But you remember things from Jolinar, don't you?"

"I told Maybourne that I didn't remember anything. Are you calling me a liar?"

Her voice was hard and threatening and Daniel was much more hesitant at answering.

"No, Sam, I don't think you're lying. Maybe, in a while you'll remember because it could really help us. I mean, you got rid of our iris like it didn't even exist."

"It would be nice to be able to do that. Strengthen our defenses, increase our offenses." Sam mused.

"Well, if you do remember anything, I'm always here to help you make sense of it."

She smiled then and it felt like the old Sam was back. Then her expression darkened. "The only things I really remember are killing people. The smell of the blood, their screams…." Her voice trembled and she pushed her bowl away. "You know, I'm not really hungry anymore. Thanks for the chat, Daniel."

Daniel watched her leave the room at a jog and sighed as Jack and Teal'c sat next to him.

"Do my eyes deceive me Daniel? Did you just have a civilized conversation with Carter and she didn't shout at you?"

"I think we just had a serious conversation. She told me that she could only recall the bad memories, that she didn't know anything else."

Jack merely looked skeptical while Teal'c voiced his concerns. "Doesn't Major Carter have memories of Jolinar's life?"

"Yes, but maybe its different with a Goa'uld. Jolinar gave her life for Sam and Hera died kicking and screaming. Couldn't that make a difference?"

"I do not know. I have never encountered a being that has been possessed by both Tok'ra and Goa'uld."

Here, Jack made his first contribution. "Look guys, it doesn't matter whether Carter can remember or not. If she doesn't want to tell us anything, she won't. And that's the end of it."

"What's your suggestion then, Jack?"

"Maybe Carter just needs us to act like everything's normal."

"I do believe that Major Carter's earlier proposal has some advantages. There is currently a planet full of Jaffa with no Goa'uld ruling them. If we could convince them they are false gods, we would have a formidable army as allies."

"Great idea, T. Now what idiot's gonna convince Hammond to let us and Carter go back there?


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Author's Note

_I'm really really sorry that I took so long to update this. Christmas and the New Year took me by surprise! I hate other authors that do this and now I've turned into one of them! Hopefully, this long chapter will start to make up for it._

Jack O'Neill found himself waiting outside the General's office, cursing Teal'c. It was his crazy idea; he should be the one standing here.

"Colonel? Can I help you?"

"Hi, sir. Now before I bring this up, I would like to mention that it is all Teal'c's idea and if you want to punish someone, it should be him."

"Colonel, will you just get to the point."

"Okay, we know that Hera had a lot of Jaffa on her planet. And Teal'c' seems to think that we can persuade them that the Goa'uld are false gods and they can be free, yadda, yadda, yadda."

"What do you think of this idea, Colonel?"

"Well, at this point, I'm worried that if we go back to the planet and there's hundreds of Jaffa willing to follow Carter, she'll take up her position as "goddess"

"You think she'd do that?"

"I don't know. But I do know that there's a whole lot of technology on that planet that has the power to do a lot of damage to us. And if we can't use it, we should destroy it."

"I hate to admit it Jack but I think you're right. You have to get rid of the machinery. Major Carter is probably the only way you can get to the planet and do that without getting yourself killed."

"I knew you'd say that. When do we leave?"

When he left Hammond's office, he went to Sam's lab and found her staring blankly into space.

"Carter?"

"Oh, sorry, sir."

"We're going to Hera's homeworld tomorrow."

Her face drained of all color but she answered steadily. "What for, sir?"

"If Hera used the technology and nearly wiped us out, another Goa'uld could do the same. We have to destroy the machines and stop the threat."

"Of course, sir."

"If you don't want to go…."

"I'll be fine sir. I might even be able to recognize what some of the machines are for."

After Jack had left, Sam convinced herself to do something that had been bothering her.

She entered the infirmary unbothered and made her way to the bed in which the prone First Prime rested.

Guilt threatened to take over her. This had been the worst thing she had ever done. As if sensing her presence, Nil'ac's eyes fluttered open.

"My Queen?"

Sam backed away, debating whether to run or not.

"Did I displease you?"

The confusion and pain in the Jaffa's voice stopped Sam from fleeing. He seemed so…human.

"I did not mean to anger you, my lady. Please tell me what I did so I can correct it."

"I…I'm not your Queen."

"Of course you are. You are my goddess."

"No, I'm really not."

Nil'ac waited patiently for her to continue.

"My name is Samantha Carter. I'm a Tau'ri, from Earth."

"Yes, your body was. But then the goddess overtook the body, defying death."

"No, that's not true. Hera wasn't a goddess."

"Why do you say such things, my Queen?"

"I'm not your Queen!"

Nilac recoiled at her harsh tone and fell silent while Sam considered how best to explain.

"Hera wasn't a goddess. She was a Goa'uld. They are a race of parasites that take over bodies. The parasite left that other body and entered mine at my neck."

Here, Sam showed him the thin white scar at the back of her neck.

"She…it took control of my body but I was still in there. I just couldn't do anything."

"You are lying."

"Be a lot easier if I was."

"How do I know that this isn't just a test from my goddess?"

"I guess you don't know. But I just wanted to apologize."

"So, it was you, Samantha Carter and not Hera that attacked me?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"When you…spent the night with Hera, I was aware of it but couldn't stop it from happening. Then when you touched me this morning, I...overreacted."

"So you did not want to spend the night with me?"

"No. Hera did but I didn't."

"Then I am the one that must apologize to you."

"No, I…How about we just say we're equal?"

"Agreed. What happened to the…parasite?"

"It's dead. It was trying to make you into slaves and you don't need to be. I work with Apophis' First Prime, Teal'c. He saw that the Goa'uld are false gods and helps to free other Jaffa now."

"I would like to meet Teal'c."

"In the morning, okay? I have to leave otherwise your doctor wont be happy."

Here, the battle hardened Jaffa looked worried. "Doctor Fraiser is most strict."

"Don't worry, I wont tell her you were talking to me."

"Thank you. And goodnight Samantha Carter."

Sam left the infirmary to the safety of her own office. Out of sight, behind one of the other beds, Janet Fraiser stepped out of the shadows with a relieved smile on her face. Maybe Sam was finally getting better.

Authors Note

_I hope you all enjoyed this. I'm sorry if anyone thought that what Nil'ac said was a little unbelievable. Call it creative licensing._


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